CHAPTER 10
The Tracy Family History
Paskenta
strange, strange stories
The Moons are a sickly bunch, afflicted with many
maladies. At the top of the list is asthma. They are constantly moving, leading
a “Gypsy life,” trying to find a healthy place to live. In the frontier days,
Paskenta was a good place for those with asthma.
Paskenta is really not a town. It is just, there. Yet, the
strangest stories I have come across have come out of Paskenta. I guess this is
why mother and I have grown to like it so much and always visit it our trips to
Red Bluff.
We start now with George Wm. Moon and Elizabeth Josephine Moon
Howell.
To refresh your memory, both came over in the wagon train
after being burned out of Missouri, Geo. Wm., at age 9-10, and Elizabeth, at age
14-15. They would have walked 2,000 miles. (My father spent quite a bit of time
visiting, and staying with cousins in Paskenta. That would have been these two
families and their children.)
There are only 2 living descendants of Geo. Wm. today. On
Elizabeth’s side, through marriage to the Howell’s, there are a lot of kin
around. From all sides of the family we get the same story, that the two were
brother and sister.
I have heard this from everyone that I have talked to,
including the historians. They all should know. They mention the fact, very
casually, because it is common knowledge passed down through the generations.
Yet, the official records are very clear. Geo. Wm. was
Archibald’s son by his first wife. Elizabeth, was Archibald’s younger sister by
22 years. She shows up on the census with her father being Thomas Moon,
Archibald’s father. Elizabeth is born in 1849, and Archibald does not get
married until 4 years later. So he could not be Elizabeth’s father. Thus,
Elizabeth was Geo. Wm.’s aunt.
I assume that Geo. Wm. and family "got by" alright, being a
sheep rancher.
Elizabeth, on the other hand, does better than alright. She
is married to Jim Howell, the sheep baron. They are very wealthy and have vast
land holdings.
There was only 4-5 years difference in ages, so it is
reasonable for the family to think of them as brother and sister. Because they
survived together under "Order No. 11," did they bond and think of themselves as
brother and sister? Or, for some unknown reason, did they both play a charade,
letting it be known that they were brother and sister?
And that is my story, or rather, my question?
The "not related" Moon Cousins?
When doing research you often times come up
with confusing, strange, even conflicting stories. This research was
bewildering.
A few months ago I was visiting Aunt Florence in Red Bluff.
Looking through the local newspaper, I came across an article about 90-year-old
Grandma Moon who had recently moved from Corning to live with her daughter,
Donna, in Red Bluff.
The name is the same and the area is the same, so I suspected
that we are connected.
It was a long shot, but much research is long shots. I call
her and find out they live just a few blocks away. I go over and have a
discussion with the two. (The operative word is “interrogation.”)
They told me that almost nothing is known of their family
history. Because, as far back as they could go was to their father who was
orphaned in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
I mentioned Elizabeth Cleek and her daughter Betty Trainor. She
states flatly, “We are not related.”
I had breakfast with Elizabeth Cleek and her daughter Betty Trainor, the only
two
living descendants of Geo. Wm. Moon. I mentioned my meeting with grandma Moon.
They state, “They are adopted. We are not related.” End of pursuing that story...
almost.
It would appear that the only one who had any knowledge about
the adopted father’s history was Donna’s brother. He is not easy to contact, as
he is a Seventh Day Adventist Missionary in Africa. He is in the country only
briefly, at times.
For some reason I do not understand, I decide to give grandma
Moon and Donna a copy of my draft on the Moon Line. This takes up some time and
some expense, which is foolish when one considers there is no down the road
benefit. I still
figure the name is the same and the area is the same. I guess I figured the book
would
make its way to the missionary and he might be able to see if there was any
connection with my people. This was a very long shot when you consider I had to
communicate with a man who was half way round the world in Africa preaching to
the headhunters, I assume.
The book makes its way to the missionary's daughter who lives
in Northern California. She is thrilled and saddened by her families' story and
sends me several pages of family genealogy and history. What she writes sounds
more than vaguely familiar. She enjoys communicating with a long-lost cousin.
I am confused by her letter. Everything sounds familiar, but
can not be because we are not related. I send her a rambling reply explaining
that we are not related. The book she has read is not her families story, it is
mine.
I am visiting my cousin Millie, at the book store in downtown
Red Bluff and walk out the door. Standing there is Donna. She tells me that she
is taking 90-year-old Elizabeth Cleek somewhere. I am totally confused. Why is
she taking Elizabeth Cleek somewhere when there is no family connection?
It took me some time to figure out that the adoption was by
Geo. Wm. Moon and his wife Emma. What everyone told me is that there was an
adoption, thus no relation. What they did not tell me is that they were still
family.
In the nick of time the missionary returns
from Africa. We met a few days ago at Grandma Moon's house in Red Bluff. At best,
the knowledge of the family is sketchy.
As far back as we can go is to the father whose last name was
Christensen. The family is of Scandinavian descent. The boy is named Henry. It
would appear that the father worked on a tugboat in the San Francisco Bay.
Apparently when the earthquake hit, the father and son were
on the boat. The boys is severely injured with both legs broken. The boy, no more
than 3-years-old, winds up in the hospital. He remembers his mother visiting
just once while in the hospital.
After recovering from his injuries he was sent to an
orphanage. There he would linger for 5 more years until Emma Moon comes into the
picture.
She needed help on the farm. (Remember, it was a small family
for the day, one boy and two girls.) So, she packs off to San Francisco to get
another kid. Everyone in the family is quick to point out that it was Emma’s
idea. “George had nothing to do with it.”
She comes back to Paskenta with Henry Christensen. Strangely,
today there are only two living descendants of Geo. Wm. and Emma, but many from
the earthquake family. There never was a legal adoption, but apparently that was
not unusual for the time. Henry becomes part of the family and takes on the name
of Moon, by which his descendants still are known by today.
When grown, Henry would make many attempts to find his
parents. Despite his efforts nothing was ever learned of the parents, or any
contact made. The parents simply disappeared off the face of the earth.
Henry grows up as part of the family, marries Marie Karo, a
Norwegian girl from a local Paskenta farm.
The following information was provided by Kathleen Moon Dirksen, which I have condensed.
The adopted boy, Henry Moon, and his wife grandma Marie Moon,
had 5 children: Edward, Jim, Reathel, Donna and Verna. Ed and Jim each had only
girls. So the Moon name ended there.
The adopted boy, Henry, died in1988, and is buried at the
Paskenta cemetery, which is filled with our people.
Edward Moon, the missionary, chooses as a career to be a
nurse. He met his wife, Irene Poelstra, while in nursing school.
In 1960 they head off to Nigeria to do missionary work. The
family has been associated with Nigeria ever since. In his career, Ed would
teach nursing and farming in Nigeria, all part of his missionary calling. Their
children would be raised more Nigerian than American.
On 30 October 1960 the first child is born, Jeanene Louise
Bamidele Ogioma Moon. (I told you they were Nigerian.) A year and a half later
is born Laura Lee Ayodele Igioma Moon. To this day, she goes by her Yoruba name,
Ayo. She is Ayo Moon, of New York City. Ayo works with her husband in his
graphic arts company, TODA, in Manhattan.
Kathleen Moon is born one year and two weeks after Jeanene.
Her name is Kathleen Lynelle Adjoke Chioma Moon. They each have a Yoruba name
and an Ibo name, the two main tribes in southern Nigeria. (I would like to look
at the kids names on official documents: driver's license, Social Security cards,
etc...)
The family lived between America and Nigeria over the years.
The parents took in a 15-year-old “house girl” whose parents
and sister died. As appears to be the tradition among our people they adopt her,
unofficially. So the adoptees become adoptors and we add one more adoptee to our
list. Her name is Janet Adaramola Ola.
It was not always fun times. It is a turbulent country with
civil wars. Rarely does Ed take to the road without encountering dead bodies or
those injured in automobile accidents. His nursing skills are used constantly.
Many a time he comes home with blood on his clothes after helping an injured
motorists.
Ed adapts quickly to the new culture. After being in Nigeria
three months he learns the language and speaks with fluency.
One of the daughters is... Speaking of my sister,
Janet,...she married a Nigerian Pastor in 1975. They adopted a boy from a
relative, and then had four girls.
Jeanene Moon works in L.A. as an Office Administrator. She is divorced and has
one 14-year-old son, Eric Lehl.
Kathleen, the one who provided this information, is a nurse
living in Hayward, CA. She works two days a week at UC Davis, here in Sacramento.
She marries Lon Dirksen in 1995. They have no children.
Ed’s brother, Jim Moon, joined the army and then became a
machinist. He had two daughters, Crystal and Theresa. Crystal is married and lives
in Corning. She has 2 children, Levi, who goes hunting every year with us in the Paskenta hills. (Kathleen, her father and family) She is remarried.
Theresa married an Italian fellow and lives and works in
Northern California near the Oregon border...the town of Weed, I think?
Reathel Moon had 3 children: Floyd, Brian and Julie. Floyd is
married to his second wife, Kathy, and lives in Corning with her daughter. His
last name is Householder. Reathel died of a heart attack in 1998. Brian also
lives in Corning with his wife and 3 children.
Julie Moon married a Mexican man who spoke no English. She
learned Spanish. They had two boys and are no longer together. These two boys live
in the Corning area and have children of their own. Julie just died of Cervical
Cancer very recently.
Donna Moon married Gilbert Gates and had one daughter,
Dawnetta. Dawn married a Navy man and lives in San Diego with her 3 children.
Gilbert died of lung cancer and Donna remarried a Fran Early.
Verna Moon adopted a girl born to her sister Reathel. The
girl's name is Kim. Kim lives in Napa Valley. Verna married and has two children,
Robert and Sharon. Robert lives in Corning and Sharon lives in Oklahoma. Verna
divorced. She remarried Jim Jones. He had two boys, Jim Jr. and Jeff. They live in
Oregon with their families. Together, Verna and Jim Jones had one child,
Kristine. She is now married and has two sons. She lives in the Walnut Creek
area (CA).
One of the family told me there are over 100 relatives, most
live in Northern California.
This is the family gathering at Grandma
Moon's house in Red Bluff about a year ago (2003). Ed Moon the missionary. To
his left is his daughter, Dawnette Gates with her daughter, Katie, in lap.
To Ed's right is his grandson, Eric. In the wheelchair is Grandma Moon, (since
passed on), wife of
Henry, the adopted boy who started this clan. To her left is her daughter,
Donna. I do not know who the other woman is.
That is the story of our cousins, which until
a short time ago I never knew existed. I told them bluntly, “If I don’t get you
in the family history, you will have no heritage at all.”
They are not blood relatives...but cousins by earthquake.
This is the second strange story to come out of Paskenta, but
not the strangest. That story comes in the next chapter.
Footnote: So that our Earthquake Moons know exactly where they fit in the family I give the following explanation: George Wm. Moon and wife, Emma, adopt the boy, Henry, who takes on the Moon name. George Wm. probably loses his mother due to her early death. Archibald Moon, George's father, then remarries Martha Wallace. Martha now becomes the adoptive mother to George Wm., which puts all of you Earthquake Moons into her illustrious heritage. Thus, this family history comes to you by way of double adoption. Think of it as being like double chocolate cake.
My family history web site has 79 chapters. If you would like to know more about the other chapters then go to my Home Page www.thetracyfamilyhistory.net
NOTE: There are two standard screen resolutions. The new one at 1024x768, and the old one at 800x600. If text and images interfere, overlap one another, it is probably because you are using the new one. Change to 800x600 and you should be alright.